"Go to hell! Is that old bastard Sarutobi Hiruzen trying to deliberately send me to the front lines to die?"
Two days later, at the Konoha's Ninja Academy.
When they heard Jin's words, the surrounding Konoha's Ninjas, including Minato, broke out in a cold sweat.
'Eh? Is he really showing Hokage-sama so little respect?' Minato thought to himself, having just tied the Konoha's forehead protector to his head.
The forehead protectors on Minato's head and in Jin's hand indicated that both had successfully become Genin of Konoha.
The early graduation exams hadn't caused much of a stir.
After all, one was the possessor of the Mangekyo Sharingan who had assisted the Sannin in killing Hanzo of the Salamander.
The other was a genius who had firmly held the position of top honors student since enrollment.
In less time than it takes many men to... well, finish a certain activity, Jin and Minato received their forehead protectors.
The reason for Jin's earlier curse was that immediately after receiving the protectors, the examiner told them to report to the front lines right away, on the Hokage's orders.
Jin felt like he'd drawn the short stick.
'Who sends fresh Genin straight to the front lines?'
'Wasn't that old fossil deliberately sending me to my death on the battlefield?'
[Izuna: Probably not. I think that old monkey feels that even though he can't touch you for the time being, he still wants to squeeze every last bit of value out of you.]
[Tobirama: Izuna! Don't measure a gentleman's mind with your own petty standards!]
[Izuna: Ohoho? Gentlemen? With the character of those disciples of yours? Do you think this is still the Warring States Period? Should children under ten be sent to the battlefield?]
Izuna's remark silenced Tobirama.
Yes, his elder brother's original intention in founding Konoha Village was to prevent children from being involved in war.
But now, Hiruzen was sending two nine-year-old children to the front lines.
Wasn't that putting the cart before the horse?
[Yamamoto: I don't understand. If the front lines are short-handed, why doesn't the Hokage, that Sarutobi Hiruzen, go himself?]
'Damn, the Captain-Commander's single sentence ended the debate.'
'Right, if the front lines are short-handed, why don't you, the Konoha Council, go yourselves?'
Jin almost laughed out loud.
Thinking about it, although the four members of the Konoha Council lived through the first three Great Ninja Wars, they basically stayed in the rear, reaping the benefits.
During the First Great Ninja War, they were just kids, following Tobirama around and gaining experience. That was understandable.
But after that, they never set foot on the battlefield.
The Second Great Ninja War relied on the White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, and the Konoha's Sannin.
The Third Great Ninja War was the same. Even though they were only in their early fifties and perfectly capable of going to the front lines themselves, they sent kids like Kakashi and Obito, who are just 12, instead, while they stayed behind.
They relied entirely on Minato risking his life on the front lines to carry the weight.
The Fourth... well, that was a battle of gods, so let's not go there.
But Koharu and Homura still retired comfortably in the rear.
'What the hell?'
'What use are you Council's members anyway?'
[Hashirama: ...]
[Tobirama: ...]
The Senju brothers were also silenced by Yamamoto's words.
No matter how much they wanted to make excuses for Hiruzen and the other three, they really couldn't find any.
…
"Enough, Jin! This is Hokage-sama's order! As a Konoha's Ninja, your only duty is to carry it out!"
A stern voice sounded at that moment.
Jin turned to look, a slight smirk forming on his lips.
"Well, if it isn't Uncle Shinku! How are you?"
Yuhi Shinku, one of Konoha's foremost Genjutsu specialists.
Shinku walked over and said, "I will be the commanding captain for this operation for both of you, responsible for taking you to the front lines. Go back and prepare. We depart at dawn."
Jin shrugged.
'Whatever. Going to the battlefield wasn't entirely a bad thing.'
'After all, training against wooden posts in a training ground couldn't compare to practicing on live targets, right?'
"Hey~ Uncle Shinku, I heard your daughter was born. Congratulations," Jin asked out of the blue as they were leaving the academy.
"Ah? Oh, th-thank you." Shinku nodded in a daze.
Over a decade later, Shinku would say that the biggest regret of his life was letting Jin meet his daughter.
After all, what father could tolerate his son-in-law having more than just his daughter as his woman?
…
"Grandma Mito, I'll have to trouble you to look after Konan for a while."
Later, Jin brought Konan to the Senju Clan's compound.
"Are you really that distrustful of Hiruzen and the others?" Mito asked, the wrinkles on her face bunching up.
Having lived so long, she'd seen it all. Jin's actions were simply because he feared the Konoha Council might do something to Konan in his absence.
"They're a bunch of scumbags," Jin scoffed disdainfully.
"Aren't you?" Kushina retorted, rolling her eyes.
"I'm just a playboy," Jin declared, puffing out his chest.
Kushina: "..."
'Damn, and you're proud of it?'
Mito sighed but ultimately agreed.
However, her reluctance to die grew even stronger.
Because Mito had a premonition.
Once she died, Hiruzen and the others would have no more restraints.
At that time, Jin would bare his fangs.
If those two groups clashed... the consequences would be unimaginable.